Central Queensland Region Guides Attractions Events in Queensland

Agnes Water is Queensland's northern-most surf beach and is the last in a line of beautiful, unspoilt beaches that sweep up the coast from Bundaberg.

Agnes Water and its sister township of Seventeen Seventy offer a range of activities and holiday ideas - from relaxing at the beach, four wheel driving through rugged coastal national parks, beach and deep sea fishing - to enjoying an adventure tour aboard an amphibious vessel. Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy are also one of the closest points to the outer Great Barrier Reef, with tours departing to both Lady Musgrave Island or Fitzroy Reef.

Agnes Water features accommodation, shops and eateries and services - all with a beachside atmosphere. The Agnes Water Museum houses local history with interesting information about Captain Cook and his voyages. Many beautifully designed homes dot the palm covered hillsides, all with a look reminiscent of the tropics of tropical north Queensland.

The Baffle Creek area, including Wartburg and Rules Beach is situated just south of Agnes Water on the Discovery Coast and is a tranquil coastline, offering spectacular scenery and breathtaking surrounds.

There are excellent opportunities for coastal recreation such as swimming, fishing and boating as well as a number of four-wheel drive adventures – fun for the whole family!

Baralaba is a definitive Aussie town full of character. Found 96 kilometres north west of Biloela; it is a coal mining, cattle, grain and irrigated crop farming hub. The Neville Hewitt Weir on the Dawson River is a popular recreational area and offers the best boating, skiing and fishing in the Dawson and Callide Valleys.

Venture into the thriving bush of yesteryear with a trip to the Historical Village. Alternatively, tourists can immerse themselves in the Baralaba Historic Photos Collection at the Baralaba Landcare and Community Resource Development Centre. The 1000 historic photos will give visitors a real appreciation of what life was like.

The Baralaba Show is held in the first week of May, there is also an annual Art exhibition held in the town.

With its location at the southern entrance to Gladstone, you really cannot miss Benaraby. It is a small community and fairly well known to anglers, being the gateway to Lake Awoonga, which has a pile of Barramundi waiting to be caught. The Lake is one beautiful place which must not be overlooked.

But back to Benaraby. The town has fuel, food outlets, accommodation and general supplies for the traveller. There is also a small fresh Fruit and Vege Market located at the Benaraby Junction turn-off.

Benaraby is also home to the popular and well-known, Benaraby Raceway, where visitors can take in spectacular motorbike, drag and street racing.

Biloela is a growing rural town with a very diverse agricultural industry including cotton, sorghum, wheat, herbs and spices. The cattle industry is thriving with the largest number of cattle of any shire in Queensland.

The town is the centre of the Banana Shire. The name came from a tan coloured bullock, named Banana, which worked on a property in the region in the mid 19th century.

Biloela's biggest attraction is The SILO. More than 28 metres high, it is filled, not with grain, but with an array of displays about primary industry. The SILO situated in Exhibition street gives an insight into cotton production, stud and dairy cattle, redclaw and ostrich farming, grain production and landcare.

Biloela came into being only in 1924 as an agricultural centre. Coal was first mined in the 1940s but was transported to Gladstone.

Tours are available from Tuesday to Friday at Callide B Powerhouse situated 17 kilometres from Biloela. For an overview of the mine, drive to Callide Mine Lookout, which has a spectacular view of Biloela and the mine areas. The vantage point gives people a fantastic view of the workings of the dragline, which is one of the world's largest walking draglines.

Visit nearby Kroombit National Park sandstone escarpment with spectacular views, subtropical rainforest and palm-fringed waterfalls. It's also the final resting place of the Beautiful Betsy, an aircraft which went missing in World War Two.

Back in the war years, Bororen was noted for its pies. Those on active duty almost considered deserting just to get their hands on a Bororen pie. In the 21st century, it's still worthwhile pulling over for a break. The local pub has a great atmosphere, country to its boots. The architecture is great.

The town, approximately 50 kilometres south of Gladstone, is quite well known these days for its cattle and timber industries. If you're in town on the right day and at the right time, you may even get to see the local woodsmith at work.

The town has a caravan park, hotel/motel and a wide range of services including meals, bait, ice, takeaway meals for those on the move, or just refuelling. Rest areas with toilets, barbeque facilities with shade and somewhere for the kids to have that all important run around.

Take a short drive south from Gladstone to the picturesque coastal communities of Boyne Island and Tannum Sands and you will experience a relaxed coastal lifestyle centred on attractive beaches, riverside walkways, parklands and recreational activities.

With a population of close to 12,000, these 'twin' communities are linked by a bridge across the beautiful Boyne River.

Boyne Island - the island you can drive to - offers a quality mix of residential, business, shopping, industry and environment where foreshore parks overlook boats, outrigger crews and fishing on the calm river waters.

The island is also home to Australia's largest Aluminium Smelter - the State's largest user of electricity. It employs 1,300 people to produce up to 558,000 tonnes of Aluminium per year. You are welcome to learn more about this fascinating facility at the Smelter Visitor Centre.

With only a small variation in seasonal water temperatures, the waters of Tannum Sands and Boyne Island are perfect for year-round swimming. The area is a popular stopover for the winter 'migration' from the south!

Boyne has more than 15 kilometres of walks known as The Turtle Way, winding beside the river through bushland, dunes and parks.

The Boyne Valley is just an hours drive from Gladstone in Central Queensland, Australia. It is a rural community with the small townships of Nagoorin, Ubobo, Builyan and Many Peaks dotted along the Boyne River which is the heart of the valley. Many services and facilities, including a Health Clinic, Primary Schools, General Store, Post Office Agency, Hotel, Churches, Automotive Repairs, Halls and public toilets, Service Clubs, Sports Grounds, Camping and Accommodation are available, with easy access via bitumen highway Number 69 from Calliope in the north or Monto in the south. Access is also available from Miriam Vale on the Bruce Highway, via the partly sealed Blackmans Gap Road over the Many Peaks Range.

Beef and sawmilling are the main industries, with dairying, irrigated crops and mining contributing to the economy. The Boyne River, Awoonga Dam and a network of National Parks and forests combine to create a place of great natural beauty and encourage tourism. New residents arriving in the Valley in recent years have found the Valley to be a great place to build a home and retire or an easy place from which to commute to work.

Calliope is a vibrant growing community, about 20 minutes drive west of Gladstone. With a relaxed rural atmosphere, Calliope is surrounded by farms and a beautiful hinterland landscape.

The area boasts a national park of rainforests and native bush, horse riding trails, bush camps, historical homesteads and lookouts with spectacular views over the entire Port Curtis area.

With a population of over 4,000 the town of Calliope has country pubs, an 18-hole Country Club with a challenging golf course, and the newly constructed Calliope Central Shopping Village. Just north along the highway is the Calliope River Historical Village, taking you back many years to capture some of the early history of the Port Curtis area.

Fishing enthusiasts are well catered for with boat ramps provided at Boyne Island, Tannum Sands, Calliope River and Lake Awoonga. Choice mud crabs and fish such as bream, salmon, whiting, cod and flathead can be caught from the Boyne and Calliope Rivers and the many estuaries running from these rivers. Lake Awoonga is a prime location for catching barramundi, with the bonus of being able to fish for these well-known angler prizes all year round.

The Capricorn Coast is exciting, diverse and breathtakingly beautiful. Visitors to the Coast enjoy golden days and balmy, moonlit evenings with the brilliant sunsets and scents of the tropics as well as the crispness of a temperate climate. The Coast is under the Tropic of Capricorn, for which it is named, and it sweeps along the Pacific Ocean at Central Queensland just a 30 minute drive from the Beef Capital of Australia, Rockhampton, and only 600 kilometres from the capital, Brisbane.

You can still enjoy a beach to yourself at the Capricorn Coast with views of Great and North Keppel Islands and the many smaller islands, which act as stepping-stones to the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef.

Great Keppel Island is a popular island to visitors and is accessible by a 30-minute ferry ride. Ferry services operate daily out of Rosslyn Bay.

Yeppoon is the Coast's major town, which has retained its village style appeal, yet offers a variety of wonderful restaurants, accommodation and shops. Just north of Yeppoon is the Capricorn Resort, set on 22,000 acres of nature and offers two world standard golf courses, whilst to the south at Zilzie, the Reef Palms Complex offers night-time golf with a floodlit course, featuring a world-first - synthetic golf course.

The beaches along the Capricorn Coast are touched by the legacy of Captain James Cook. Emu Park, the second largest town on the Capricorn Coast, has honoured Cook's exploration with a monument, the famous 'Singing Ship', a soaring white sculpture with Great Keppel Island as a back drop.

Lammermoor, Kinka, Mullambin and Kemp beaches, Cooee Bay and the Causeway Lake, all line the Capricorn Coast offering many pleasures, wonderful accommodation and so much beauty you will never want to leave.

The Capricorn Coast is easily accessible by road, rail, coach and air and is situated 38 kilometres north east of Rockhampton.

Once a prosperous gold mining town, Cracow is located 154 kilometres south east of Biloela. Gold was discovered in 1850, with the Golden Plateau N.L Company operating the mine from 1936 to 1976. Once promoted as a 'ghost town' Cracow has recently been given a new lease on life with the reopening of the gold mine.

Much of Cracow can be enjoyed on foot, by taking a walking tour of the deserted buildings in the main street, the cemetery and the abandoned grand hospital. Envisage how life was in this once vibrant and prosperous town. A visit to Cracow Hotel is an experience and tour in its own right. Enjoy country hospitality, a meal, a yarn and hotel's display of memorabilia dedicated to the pioneering stockmen and country 'larrikins'. Take a short drive to 'Cracow Beach' and marvel at the rare Livistonia Palms prevalent to the Dawson River area.

Curtis Island is located a short distance off the coast of Gladstone and offers stunning unspoilt beaches, intimate north-facing bays, sparkling ocean, the Great Barrier Reef, wilderness, wetlands as well as an outback-style cattle station. It even has its own airstrip.

It is this combination of these diverse attributes and natural beauty which make the area of Turtle Street absolutely unique in Australia and perhaps even the world. As it is situated under the Tropic of Capricorn, the climate is far less humid in summer than further north and it escapes the chill of south-east Queensland in the winter.

A splash of vivid yellow could be the clue that you're approaching the township of Dululu, which is located in Northern Banana Shire, approximately 72 kilometres from Biloela.

This is sunflower territory and late summer is the time to get the best out of the colour. It is also cotton-growing country with further competition for the country space coming from cattle. Little wonder there is only a relatively small number of humans taking up the remainder of available land. The little town has a beautiful old Queensland pub and for travellers there are camping facilities, along with a rest area with barbecue and picnic tables.

Emu Park is situated along the Capricorn Coast, 45 kilometres east of Rockhampton. Emu Park is host to the Singing Ship, a monument overlooking the coast line. You can take a scenic drive of Yeppoon before arriving in Emu Park or drive straight from Rockhampton which passes the Koorana Crocodile Farm.

From Emu Park you can also visit Great Keppel Island for a day trip, or enjoy the quiet, peaceful surrounds that Emu Park has to offer.

Facing Island is located approximately 12 kilometres from the Gladstone mainland and is accessible by private boat or barge service. The Island has long sandy beaches and designated camping areas, perfect for those who have four wheel drives, a fishing rod or a surfboard, or simply want to relax and explore the unspoilt bushland and coastline.

Camp site bookings can be made online, or through the Gladstone Visitor Information Centre.

The city of Gladstone is developed on hills overlooking the focal point of its economic development - the natural deepwater harbour. This dynamic, modern city basks in a sub-tropical climate with islands, waterways and beaches providing year-round boating, fishing, swimming and surfing. At the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef, Gladstone offers access to Heron Island, Wilson Island and uninhabited coral cays. A large charter boat fleet operates from the world class Marina.

A wide variety of restaurants and eateries cater to all tastes - from Australian tucker to Gladstone's famous mud crab and fresh seafood. All types of accommodation are available including four-star properties, comfortable and affordable motels and caravan parks.

Gladstone's Tondoon Botanic Gardens are one of Australia's few totally native botanic gardens. The display areas specialise in the plants of the surrounding and Tropical North Queensland regions. The Gladstone Entertainment Centre, at the heart of the newly renovated 'Library Square', forms the focal point of the city's cultural activities. The Gladstone Regional Art Gallery and Museum is a colonial Georgian structure which houses three exhibition areas and hosts the Region's annual Rio Tinto Martin Hanson Art Awards which draws entrants from all over Queensland.

The Gladstone Region - Australia's best kept holiday secret - begins approximately 450 kilometres north of Brisbane. It's the gateway to the majestic Southern Great Barrier, fantastic fishing hotspots, amazing country adventures and pure national parks. Whatever you are after, you'll find it here.

The region's hub is the city of Gladstone. Full of surprising and interesting experiences, this energetic regional city known for being the 'engine room of Queensland' is also the access points for Southern Great Barrier Reef icons, Heron and Wilson Islands. Surrounding Gladstone are townships of Mount Larcom, Calliope, Benaraby, Boyne Island and Tannum Sands. This part of the region is home to one of Australia's premier freshwater fishing locations, Awoonga Dam.

To the south, the natural surrounds of the Discovery Coast will beckon you to discover the burgeoning township Miriam Vale, the white secluded beaches of Agnes Water and the township of Seventeen Seventy will entice, as will the breathtaking reef adventures at Lady Musgrave Island and Fitzroy Reef Lagoon.

To the southwest you will find the spectacular Boyne Valley. Travel further west to the Banana Shire area which abounds with opportunities for intrepid travellers to experience a bush adventure holiday or enjoy a genuine farmstay experience.

Gracemere is located nine kilometres west of Rockhampton, the Beef Capital of Australia. The town is home to the largest saleyards in the Southern Hemisphere and is the heart of the Capricorn cattle industry.

Experience the dust and drama as thousands of cattle, horse and other livestock are rounded into the saleyards to go under the auctioneer's hammer each week. Sales are held most week days, with the major cattle and bull sales held every Friday. After the sales, be sure to stop by the Gracemere Hotel - this pub has all the charm of a classic Aussie pub with a modern twist.

The Archer Brothers, early pioneers of Rockhampton, opened up the Gracemere region in April 1853 and established their home at the settlement of Gracemere. The area was named in honour of Tow Archer's wife, Grace.

Paradise Lagoons is a privately owned cattle property and is the location for Australia's richest campdraft. The property is located 16 kilometres from Rockhampton (near Gracemere), and the nation's best campdrafters flock to compete here annually.

20 minutes west of Gracemere on the Capricorn Highway is Mt Hay Gemstone park. Fossick for thunder-eggs or gemstones and browse their quality pewter products.

Great Keppel Island in Central Queensland boasts 17 pristine beaches. The island is mostly composed of natural bushland with several walking tracks and lookouts for you to enjoy. But it’s the beaches that really set Great Keppel apart from other islands. And with the fringing coral reefs off the island, you’ve found a perfect holiday escape.

Great Keppel Island truly has something for everyone. With spectacular snorkelling and scuba diving and some excellent bush walks through the National Park, you’ll never be longing for choice. There are also several accommodation options available.

Great Keppel Island is just off the coast of Rockhampton, which makes it easily accessible for day trips as well as extended holidays. Great Keppel Island, it's a tropical paradise waiting for you to explore.

Heron Island is located just off the coast of Gladstone and boasts some of the best scuba diving and snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef. Heron Island is a coral cay, meaning it is completely composed of sand and coral fragments. The island is surrounded by 24 square kilometres of reef and boasts several nesting spots for green and loggerhead turtles.

Heron Island offers a unique experience where you can truly immerse yourself in the beauty of nature. Among the music of seabirds, tracks of turtles and multi-coloured clouds of fish, the feeling that you're a guest of nature itself is inescapable. Reef walking, viewing underwater life from the coral submarine, watching the sun set over the ocean - you become part of a community caught up in the timeless evolution of the world's largest living thing - the Great Barrier Reef.

There is one resort on the island, Heron Island Resort, which offers several standards of accommodation designed to suit all tastes and budgets.

The village of Jambin is located is located 29 kilometres north west of Biloela on the Burnett Highway.

Originally set up as a supply depot for the railways, Jambin now forms an intricate part of the rich agriculture area.

A visit to Jambin isn't complete without a stop at the local pub. Located on the Burnett Highway, the local pub is a popular spot for a cool drink and break in your journey.

Once Keppel Sands (south of Yeppoon) went by the name of The Sandhills. Sandhills along the beach front were about all there was, until a sleepy town amidst the sugar cane plantations started to emerge. That's all changing these days, particularly since real estate started going 'through the roof'.

The majority of the sugar cane plantations have all but gone and a different community has developed, partly due to tourism, a burgeoning real estate market and, one would imagine, the excellent fishing. The town is set on a tidal stretch of water and that makes for good crabbing and fishing.

A 'must visit' is the Joskeleigh South Pacific Museum, which highlights the role played by the Kanakas, brought out by the 'blackbirders' to work the sugar cane fields as indentured labour.

There's a good picnic area by the beach.

With wide open beaches lapped by the calm, gentle waters of Keppel Bay, Kinka Beach, just 15 minutes’ drive south of Yeppoon, is the perfect seaside destination for families looking for an affordable getaway.

Kinka Beach holiday-makers enjoy unfiltered views over the water to the world-renowned Great Keppel Island. Its quiet locale and tranquil waters make Kinka Beach an excellent swimming beach for all ages and abilities. Grab a bucket and spade and make the most of the clean sand and idyllic location.

The seaside hamlet of Emu Park is just three kilometres down the road offering a range of shops, cafes and facilities to ensure your stay is a comfortable one.

At the northern end of Kinka Beach is Causeway Lake, offering great picnic and barbecue facilities and pretty water views. A local kiosk sells bait and tackle along with ice creams and treats for the whole family.

Explore the lake by boat, catamaran, kayak, paddle boat or canoe, available for hire at the local boat shop. Take the kids fishing, throw in a crab pot, or at low tide visit the nearby rock pools and delight at the strange and wonderful creatures who call this place home.

Several beachside units with pools are available for hire and the area also has a number of good caravan parks and holiday villages offering self-contained units, cabins, and camping facilities.

Lady Musgrave Island is the only coral island on the Great Barrier Reef with a navigable lagoon. Over eight kilometres in circumference, this unique cay truly has it all - reef, island, beautifully coloured corals, marine life, flora, fauna, and of course, turtles.

Accessible only by vessel launch from Seventeen Seventy, Lady Musgrave provides visitors with a range of experiences. Scuba divers may come face to face with manta rays or moray eels, and snorkellers will discover giant rainbow coloured fish or coral trout. Swimming and snorkelling inside the lagoon offers calm, crystal clear water - like swimming in a giant aquarium!

In summer, turtles come ashore to lay their eggs and thousands of seabirds nest in rookeries on the uninhabited island.

Although the Island is a National Park and World Heritage Zone, camping is permitted (permits required). Campers should note that there are no shops or facilities ashore and are required to take their own fresh water and food and all supplies.

Marlborough is situated 102 kilometres north of Rockhampton on the Bruce Highway (Highway 1) and is the site of the chrysoprase mine. There is motel and caravan park style accommodation and the Marlborough Historical Museum to visit. A high-grade chrysoprase deposit was found near the town. Enjoy your stay at Marlborough.

Miriam Vale is located on the Bruce Highway 475 kilometres north of Brisbane, with the main North South rail line passing through the town.

The quaint township features a mixture of buildings, including some fine old structures in the timber 'Queenslander' style. A Heritage Fig Tree adorns the parkland and war memorial opposite the towns hotel.

Tranquillity trail winds along through shaded Lions Park up through native bushland to an old time cemetery.

The area was founded on grazing and timber but now boasts a strong tourist influx, good fishing, National Parks and a high population growth particularly along the Coastal fringe. The town serves as the main gateway to the delightful Discovery Coast towns of Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy, Eurimbula, Baffle Creek, and Deepwater National Parks. Historical Bustard Heads lighthouse is an experience not to be missed whilst in the area.

Found about 20 minutes drive from the Gladstone Central Business District is the small rural township of Mount Larcom. Terrific for a short break during your travels, Mount Larcom has picnic areas, pubs and several takeaway and supply stores to keep you going. Try one of the famous Big Mumma's pies, pasties and sausage rolls!

A short drive further north is Gladstone's most prominent natural landmark - Mount Larcom. A challenging trek up to the peak is rewarded with an uninterrupted 360-degree view of the Gladstone Area. Rural lands and the Gladstone Harbour can easily be recognised from the summit, and on a clear day you will see reef islands to the east and Rockhampton to the north.

Aside from Pies and Mountains, Mt Larcom is well-known for its yearly district show which attracts around 18,000 spectators over the two days.

Mount Morgan is an historical mining town nestled on the Dee River a short 38 kilometre drive from Rockhampton. The town is rich in nineteenth century Queensland colonial history and has artefacts and relics from the gold rush days that visitors can experience.

Founded as a gold mining town in 1882, Mount Morgan became a vast contributor of gold, silver and copper from the Capricorn region and the mine successfully ran until 1981. William Knox D’Arcy made both fame and fortune in Mount Morgan from his share in the lucrative mine to finance oil exploration overseas which later became BP Company.

To experience a 'real' pioneering adventure visit the Mount Morgan open cut gold and copper mines and enjoy the panoramic view of the township and mines from the Arthur Timms Lookout.

A rare opportunity to search for the 150 million year old prehistoric dinosaur footprints in the Mount Morgan clay caves can be organised for budding enthusiasts to explore. Celebrated as some of the best examples of Jurassic footprints in Australia, the caverns were man-made by miners for fire brick clay.

Heading downstream, the Dee River boasts a suspension bridge built in the 1890s to provide access from the town to the mine and was one of six swinging bridges at that time in Mount Morgan. However, only one bridge remains today to remind visitors of the colonial days.

For an old fashioned yarn, head to the 'Running the Cutter' statue illustrating a famous mining tradition from Mount Morgan. Between 1900 and 1918, buying a beer in 'billy' cans and drinking the beer outside was a common custom for Mount Morgan miners after a day's work that is symbolized in this unique statue.

Moura is located in the Banana Shire on the Dawson Highway, 180 kilometres south-west of Gladstone or 586 kilometres north-west of Brisbane. This diverse township is located in the Dawson Valley.

Named the 'Heart of the Dawson Valley', this thriving community is known for its coal mining, cotton processing, wheat and sorghum growing and chemical manufacture. This mixture of activities has ensured that, unlike most coal mining centres in Queensland, the town has not developed as a typical company town for miners. The other major local enterprise is visually broadcast to the surrounding district. Huge grain silos (the second-largest in Queensland) are located at the eastern end of town and can be seen from a considerable distance.

Moura hosts a number of annual events including, the Coal and Country festival, Muddy Water Fishing Classic and the Dawson River Festival, which attracts visitors from all over Queensland.

The town also has a motel and hotel, a bakery, cafes, Memorial Club and Bowls Club. There's an IGA supermarket for groceries and a local service station to fill up at.

Don't forget their 18 hole golf course and Olympic size swimming pool.

Situated approximately 75 kilometres from Gladstone, North West Island is the largest Coral Cay in the area and forms part of the Capricorn Cays National Park.

North West Island offers opportunities for bushwalking, nature study, reef walking, diving and snorkelling. Being a large coral cay it has longer walking opportunities through the island and around its beaches. Fishing is also quite popular on the island. Visitors are requested to limit their fishing and you must only fish in the authorised zones. Please obtain zoning maps from QPWS Gladstone or a Visitor Information Centre.

Bookings are necessary before camping on the Island and permits apply. To obtain a permit, or for further information contact the Department of Environmental Resource Management (DERM).

Composting toilets are available on the Island for the convenience of campers only. Self-sufficient camping is available however, visitors are required to take their own water and a fuel stove. Also be sure to pack sturdy bags to take rubbish away with you.

Rockhampton, the Beef Capital of Australia is located on the Tropic of Capricorn and is the gateway to the Coast and the Outback.

Founded in 1853, the majesty of Rockhampton's historical architecture has captured the hearts of visitors for decades. Many fine public and private buildings, including the Customs House, old Post Office, Cathedrals, banks, business houses and homes, are constant reminders of the city with an exciting background. The listing of Quay Street facing the river as an historic streetscape that is unique in Australia.

Rising out of Rockhampton's north-eastern suburbs, Mt Archer National Park provides magnificent views of the city, and showcases a spectacular range of native Australian flora and fauna. Frazer Park at the summit of Mt Archer is approximately 604 meters above sea level.

Six bull statues representing the main breeds of the area are situated throughout Rockhampton in recognition of Rockhampton's Beef Capital of Australia title. Gracemere Saleyards, on the outskirts of Rockhampton, handle the largest throughput of export beef cattle in Queensland, and is the largest stud-selling venue in the Southern Hemisphere. Public are welcome.

Experience the country in the city at the Great Western Hotel, which holds weekly rodeos at the back of the pub.

Rockhampton Heritage Village is an active township museum where visitors can experience Rockhampton's rich and colourful history. You could also visit the Dreamtime Cultural Centre, set in some 30 acres of natural bushland on Ancient Tribal Sites. Just 23 kilometres north of Rockhampton on Highway One is Capricorn Caverns, magnificent limestone caves.

Rockhampton Botanic Gardens are regarded as one of the best provincial gardens in Australia. Recently heritage-listed, the Rockhampton Gardens are 130 years old. Located within the Botanic Gardens, the Rockhampton Zoo is home to a diverse range of animals.

Part of the Discovery Coast, Rosedale is a quaint country town located off the Lowmead Road. The short one kilometre detour into this historic town (which dates back to 1892) is certainly worthwhile.

The township has a friendly country hotel and a general store which boasts a garden model railway. In the park there is an excellent amenities block with wheelchair access. By the electric rail line is a large water tower, a reminder of the steam era.

Protected from the elements behind an enormous volcanic outcrop, Rosslyn Bay is just seven minutes’ drive south of Yeppoon on the beautiful Capricorn Coast. The steep volcanic outcrop that shelters the bay was formed over 70 million years ago and is one of the most fascinating geological formations in the area. A short, but vigorous walk to the summit reveals magnificent views of the Keppel Islands, the surrounding coastline and volcanic formations.

Rosslyn Bay Harbour is a hive of activity with ferries regularly departing for Great Keppel Island, along with Keppel Bay cruises, bareboat charters and recreational fishing cruises. Local fishing trawlers also make use of the harbour, returning with freshly caught reef fish, prawns, bugs and mud crabs. Visitors can indulge in this mouth-watering bounty at the Rosslyn Bay Fisherman’s Co-op where it’s guaranteed fresh!

Nearby Statue Bay and Double Head are renowned fishing destinations where you’ll find Black Jewfish, Cod, Tuna and Mackerel. The rock wall surrounding Rosslyn Bay Harbour is also known as a good spot to wet a line.

North Queensland’s largest marina, Keppel Bay Marina, is also located at Rosslyn Bay, boasting 400 berths. Enjoy a scrumptious lunch at the Marina cafe as you look out over the cool blue waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Rules Beach is named after the Rule family, one of the early pioneering families in the area. Situated on the ocean front, Rules Beach is several miles long and runs the full distance between Baffle Creek and Broadwater creek. Rules Beach is the only beach left on the Discovery Coast on which you can legally drive a four wheel drive vehicle, and is the way to reach the mouth of Broadwater creek.

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service allows paid camping at Mitchell Creek, seven kilometres north of Rules Beach - which is only accessible via the beach. Permits are required and must be obtained in advance.

Half an hour to the north are the world famous Discovery Coast areas of Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy, with Gladstone located a further one and a half hours north, along the Bruce Highway.

Seventeen Seventy (formerly known as The Town of 1770) is a picturesque seaside village surrounded on three sides by the Coral Sea and Bustard Bay.

Historic as the second landing site of James Cook and the crew of the Endeavour in May 1770, the area is rich in wildlife and natural beauty and offers scenic vistas in every direction. The Joseph Banks Environmental Park preserves much of the peninsula with fauna and flora indicative of the area. Rugged granite rocky outcrops, both an outer surf and inner stillwater beach, and holiday accommodation in houses, apartments and two caravan and camping parks cater for visitors.

Two restaurants are located here, as is a general store and small marina. Agnes Water township and beach is located eight kilometres south.

Seventeen Seventy is also a departure point for reef cruises and fishing charters to the Southern Great Barrier Reef. Day tours and wilderness camping transfers operate to nearby Lady Musgrave Island. Day tours also operate to Fitzroy Reef, Pancake Creek and the historic Bustard Heads lighthouse. For the camping enthusiast, four National Parks including Deepwater, Eurimbula, Mount Colosseum and Round Hill offer wilderness camping and hiking.

Snuggled on the Queensland coast just 175 kilometres north east of Rockhampton is the tranquil town of Stanage Bay. Turn off the Bruce Highway and travel through cattle properties, which can be abundant with wildlife - especially after the wet. You don't have to travel far before you find pure peace, loads of fresh reef fish and barramundi, huge mud crabs, serene beaches, mountainous bushwalking, beach combing around cliffs and caves, islands, whales, turtles and dugongs. Stay for a week or a day. Camp or rent one of the clean, self contained houses, from budget to luxury.

Tannum Sands is just nine kilometres from the Bruce Highway and just 20 kilometres from the city of Gladstone. Tannum Sands is renowned for its long white sandy beaches perfect for swimming, sailboarding and surf-skiing.

The twin towns of Tannum Sands and Boyne Island are home to approximately 12,000 people and are linked by the John Oxley Bridge over the Boyne River, which is perfect for fishing, boating, outrigging, and water-skiing.

Recently awarded 'Queensland's Friendliest Beach' and 'Central Queensland's Tidiest Beach', the main beach has beautifully-landscaped parklands ideal for picnics and barbecues. Queensland Lifesavers patrol the main beach each weekend and all summer holidays, adding to the safe and relaxed holiday atmosphere.

Beautifully landscaped parklands and recreation facilities were created on this coastal foreshore area named Millennium Esplanade. Millennium Esplanade is on the main beach, where lifesavers patrol during Spring and Summer periods. With only a small variation in seasonal temperatures, the waters of Tannum Sands are perfect for year-round swimming.

At southern end of the Tannum main beach is Wild Cattle Island - an untouched, National Park sand island separated from the mainland by Wild Cattle Creek.

The township of Taroom lies on the banks of the picturesque Dawson River, 128 kilometres north of Miles. Settlers took up the land here in 1845, just one year after the area’s discovery. Most of these settlers came droving flocks of sheep from the overcrowded New England and Hunter Valley districts. Today the area is focused predominately on prime range cattle and grain production.

Taroom and Wandoan and promote three exciting self-drive tours to explore the region. These include taking in the breathtaking beauty of Isla Gorge, which abounds in native flora, and is excellent for bushwalking. The native animals and the general tranquillity add to the sense of peacefulness that ensures a visit to the Gorge will be a truly memorable experience.

Taroom offers visitors accommodation, supermarkets, well- stocked shops, and is an ideal fuel stop. Taroom and Wandoan offer high quality bore water, first-class swimming pools, scenic 18-hole golf links, year-round bowls, tennis, horse racing and polocrosse and excellent showgrounds which stage agricultural shows, rodeos and campdrafting. Riders from Taroom have become legends on the national rodeo scene. Visitors always enjoy fishing on the Dawson River.

12 kilometres south of Biloela is Thangool, an important lucerne and grazing area for the Banana Shire. Thangool has its own airport and there are daily flights to and from Brisbane. Well known for its race track and bush race days, Thangool is a classic bush town with country people and country hospitality. Just a short drive from Mount Scoria, this beautiful town is known for its well-kept parks and gardens.

The Caves, 25 minutes on the Bruce Highway travelling north of Rockhampton, sounds a rather fascinating place to visit and it is! This is the home of the Capricorn Caves. They are above ground and with wheelchair access, they are popular with all. There is something about an above ground cave, as it can dilute that fear associated with claustrophobia.

There are daily guided tours of these caves which were first discovered in 1882. Mid-December to mid-January, during the Summer Solstice, there is an extra special treat, with the sun's rays penetrating deep into the caves. There is a good old character-type pub on hand, along with cabin and camping facilities.

Theodore is located on the Dawson River 105 kilometres south west of Biloela.

The first settlers came to the district in the early 1850’s and took up pastoral holdings such as sheep and cattle runs. The township had its beginnings in 1922 when legislation was passed for the establishment of a major irrigation project. A design for a model township was approved in 1925. Previously called “Castle Creek”, Theodore was later named in honour of the former Queensland Premier, Mr E H Theodore.

It is said that the town was architecturally designed by Walter Burley Griffin in the early 1920’s before he went on to design Australia’s capital city, Canberra. The palm-lined roads are quite spectacular and the town is an impressive look-alike to the street plan of Canberra.

Today Theodore is the service centre for important irrigation and agricultural industries. Popular spots to visit at Theodore include the community managed Hotel-Motel, the Dawson River weir, Rose’s Garden, Junction Park, Glenmoral Gorge and the nearby historic hand built 'flagged' road, used by bullock wagons in the nineteenth century.

North of Bororen and south of Gladstone, located on the shores of pristine estuary waterways, Turkey Beach is a coastal fishing village south-east of Gladstone, within Rodd’s Harbour which is sheltered by Rodd’s Peninsula. This area is a Dugong Sanctuary. The community has permanent population of about 200, plus holiday and fishing homes.

This is fair-dinkum, throw-in-a-line-and-put-your-feet-up-territory with large mangrove inlets, estuaries and creeks.

A licensed kiosk sells take-away food, groceries, petrol, ice, LP gas and fishing supplies, Auto-gas is not available. The nearest availability is Benaraby, near Gladstone, north of Turkey Beach.

Camping is not permitted in the town area, and there are no areas set aside. There are no facilities for caravans.

Wilson Island is located just above The Tropic of Capricorn, approximately 72 kilometres off the Queensland coast, northeast of Gladstone and 15 kilometres from nearby Heron Island.

Wilson Island is a small coral cay that is the Great Barrier Reef as nature intended. Those that are drawn to Wilson Island will enjoy the natural beauty of our Great Barrier Reef island, its seclusion and the freedom from modern-day living are part of the appeal.

Wilson Island is the Great Barrier Reef as nature intended.

Stop in at this small town north of Biloela, in the Banana Shire.

The butter factory may have closed down, as has been the case throughout much of rural Australia, but the little town of Wowan has kept its old butter factory alive via a very good museum. Known as the Old Butter Factory Museum, much of the area's history has been given to safe hands.

Part of that history deals with the greater role the town had back in its earlier days, in that in 1944 Wowan was the centre of local government.

History also recalls the input of the Chinese gold miners who worked the fields located about 10 kilometres out of town.

Without its main attraction, Wycarbah, to the south-west of Rockhampton, would be bypassed by most. This little town is located about 25 minute drive from Gracemere. However, as a result of an ancient lava flow, a great collection of rather ordinary looking rocks (on the outside) have congregated at a place nearby called Mt Hay. On the outside, fairly basic rocks, but on the inside, a splash of amazing beauty. They are called 'thunder eggs'. And whilst they were formed 118 million years ago, should you find one, you get to keep it. This is the Mt Hay Thunder Egg Park.

Another surprise in store is at the Mt Hay Pewter Factory, where you'll see the whole process, from molten pewter to the finished product. Call into the local. It is a pub with character. Help the 'swaggie' escape. For years, he's been trying to find a safe passage out of the pub.

Yeppoon is situated 38 kilometres north east of Rockhampton, and is the gateway to the Capricorn Coast and the wonders of the Southern Great Barrier Reef and Keppel Bay Islands.

Wander along the town's picturesque esplanade with its backdrop of offshore islands, sparkling azure sea and clear blue skies and soak up the relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.

The township has retained its village style appeal with a variety of wonderful restaurants, accommodation, shops and galleries. A charming esplanade with grassy knoll, palms and covered picnic and play areas form a backdrop to a vista of sea, sand, sky and islands. As well, annual events, including the Pineapple Festival held in September, enliven the town with gala activities, contests and displays. Local markets offer bargains aplenty.

Take a look through the many boutiques and surf stores and be sure to have a bite to eat at one of the beautiful cafes or restaurants in town.

Within walking distance of the town centre are Figtree and Ross Creeks, home to the Black and Little Red flying foxes. At sunset, thousands of these fascinating mammals rise spectacularly as one to head off to their feeding grounds – an awesome sight to see!

Located just to the south of Emu Park and Yeppoon along the Capricorn Coast, Zilzie is gaining prominence as one of Australia's booming destinations, with significant new tourism and residential developments underway.

With beautiful beaches and magnificent views across to the Keppel Islands, Zilzie is just 35 minute scenic drive from Rockhampton.